His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton GCB, BSc, FRAeS and Lady Ann Dalton Visit BioPharmaSpec Laboratories
Accompanied by their Chief of Staff Justin Oldridge, Sir Stephen Dalton, Lieutenant Governor, and Lady Ann Dalton visited BioPharmaSpec Ltd. on Wednesday 15th December 2021 to learn more about the high-tech analytical services that this Contract Research Organization (CRO) provides to the global biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Left to right Dr. Christina Morris (Senior Scientist), Michael-John O’Connor (Director of Biochemical Services), Professor Howard R. Morris (Chairman and CSO), Lady Ann Dalton, Sir Stephen Dalton.
BioPharmaSpec was formed in 2014 by Professor Howard R. Morris FRS, who has more than 50 years of research experience in the field of mass spectrometry, and Dr Andrew J. Reason, who has 30 years of experience in the commercialization of analytical methods for characterizing biopharmaceuticals. The company specializes in the detailed molecular structure, physicochemical characterisation and testing of biopharmaceuticals from its well-equipped laboratories. BioPharmaSpec provides analytical services focused on the structural analysis of protein and glycoprotein drug products such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), biosimilars and biobetters, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), gene therapy products (e.g. AAV- based therapies), peptides and many more product types, with a focus on discovery, early and pre-clinical phases of development. Commonly recognized products include recombinant Insulins and targeted Antibodies used in cancer treatments.
Sir Stephen and Lady Dalton were given a short slide presentation by Professor Morris before being invited to tour the laboratories. The Director of Biochemical Services Michael-John O'Connor and Senior Scientist Dr Christina Morris were on hand to explain how BioPharmaSpec scientists use mass spectrometric and chromatographic instrumentation to perform methods such as peptide mapping, amino acid sequencing and molecular weight analysis to provide biopharmaceutical clients with high quality data, enabling them to progress the development of their drug products more rapidly, thus shortening the time needed to get useful medicines to market.
BioPharmaSpec also uses both its advanced instrument facilities and the interpretation expertise of its staff to assist in a number of international academic research collaborations, with two recent ones brought to the attention of its distinguished visitors being work on the SARS COV 2 Spike Protein characterization and the development of new methods aimed at improving Vaccine potency and virus-neutralizing ability.
Left to Right: Dr. Maria Panico-Morris (Senior Consultant, BioPharmaSpec), Professor Howard R. Morris (Chairman and CSO), Sir Stephen Dalton, Lady Ann Dalton.